


How to fix this?

by NKNovak



Category: IT (Movies - Muschietti)
Genre: Bill and Bev and Stan are also in the band, Eddie Kaspbrak is a music critic, Richie is a guitarist
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-23
Updated: 2019-11-23
Packaged: 2021-02-16 12:37:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,346
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21508075
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NKNovak/pseuds/NKNovak
Summary: Richie is a guitarist.Eddie Kaspbrak is a music critic.Bill, Bev, and Stan are also in the band.
Relationships: Eddie Kaspbrak & Richie Tozier
Kudos: 4





	How to fix this?

”This is fucking stupid” Richie mumbled to himself, “I don’t have to do this, I can leave, say he just didn’t show up” Richie shifted gears from park to drive then immediately back to park. He couldn’t run away from this. Bill, Bev, and Stan were right. He needed to do this. He got them into this mess and he needed to fix it. “Fuck,” Richie said before climbing out of his car.

This all started when he woke this morning, only slightly hungover after his performance last night. He stood and walked over to where the rest of his bandmates were on the bus, it didn’t surprise him that they were all awake before him. He sat down next to Beverly leaning his head on her shoulder, it wasn’t super comfortable since she was shorter than him but comfortable enough that he almost started to fall asleep again, drowning out his bandmates complaints about his “excessive” (their words) drinking and sleeping around. He didn’t understand what the big deal was, it wasn’t like he was hurting anyone, he was only giving himself hangover, which he had become adept at handling and the women he slept with were consenting adults who understood this was a one-night thing.

“We’re rockstars,” Richie said after listening to Stans latest complaint, “you guys should try enjoying it like me”

“Are you enjoying yourself, Richie?” Beverly asked she sounded more concerned than annoyed.

Richie lifted his head from her shoulder, he wanted to reply but he didn’t know how.

“Holy shit!” Bill saved Richie from the conversation but he didn’t sound happy. “The Rolling Stone did a piece on us. Did any of you read it?”

“No” Richie replied, Stan and Beverly replied with no as well.

Richie only vaguely remembered the reporter, he was a short guy, he reminded him of. . . damn. He didn’t answer any of the guy's questions, just gave him a few suggestions of what they could do instead then blew him off. “That guy was from The Rolling Stone? What’d he say?”

“He said: If you want a bad time, just go to a Bill Denbrough concert. A band that puts chasing cheap thrills above making good music and decent performances. The drummer and bassist are brilliant if you could hear them over the lead guitarist incoherently scratching his guitar. As for Bill Denbrough, even a singer as good as he cannot make the catcalls he tried to pass off as lyrics sounds good.” Bill read aloud. 

“Any press is good press” Richie replied, aware that he was the one being called out in the article, as both the lead guitarist and the one who wrote most of the band's songs. 

“No. Good press is good press, Richie. This is the Rolling Stone and potentially career ending!” Stan replied.

Richie looked at his band members, they were staring at him, “Why are you staring at me?”

“You need to fix this,” Beverly said.

“Me? How is this my fault?” 

“You weren’t sober during this concert at all, you blew off the reporter for some groupies, you didn’t even show up to rehearsals beforehand!” Bill answered. “Fix this or it will be the end of the band.”

“One review isn’t going to hurt us”

“Let me rephrase: We will kick you out of the band, replace you, if you can’t start taking this seriously”

The only reason Richie was currently walking into the diner was because he could see on Bill’s face how serious he was. Eddie was seated in a booth in the back of dinner, away from the windows. Richie walked over and sat down across from him. Eddie looked different in the light of day, through sober eyes. Looking at him didn’t hurt nearly as much as he thought it would like it did the night of the show. “I would like to apologize,” Richie said.

“I don’t want to hear it” Eddie replied

“Then why are you here?” Richie asked.

“There’s nothing you can say that can excuse the way you acted.”

Richie closed his eyes, head slightly down, he had a tendency to just start spouting words, saying the first thing that past though his mind without thinking about it and his mind ran through thoughts a mile and minute. He had to concentrate on what he was saying. “I know”

“You were rude, your words were disgusting”

“I know”

“Everything I wrote was true, not written from petty anger, although I am not happy with you, I believe in what I wrote”

“I know”

“I came here to tell you that. I’m not retracting or changing my review. I’m leaving, Tozier”

“Please, give me a second chance, Alex!” Richie said, his eyes widened as he and Eddie both realized what he said, /Shit! Shit! Shit!/

Eddie stood, “next time you want to meet with a reporter, sober up”

“I am sober” Richie couldn’t blame him for not thinking so, Richie, even without alcohol, looked a mess. “Please, sit. I at least owe you an explanation.”

Eddie paused, thinking about it for a few seconds, before sitting down. “Don’t waste my time.”

“I was born and raised in Derry,” Richie started and off Eddie’s look added, “this is important, trust me.” Richie continued, his manager was going to kill him for this. “Bev, Bill, Stan, and I started our band and I got us our first few gigs after that Bill decided we needed a real manager. During this time I had a boyfriend, his name was Alex, we were in love, or at least I was. When we started to perform outside of the town where everyone already knew I was gay, I got shoved back in the closet. That was fine, not really, but I accepted it. It’s not like I was out in Derry of my own volition. Alex wasn’t happy about it but he accepted it too. He also accepted the fact that we would have to spend time apart while I was traveling across Maine, and more so when we toured the rest of New England. It was when our manager got us our first National tour, this tour, that he broke up with me. The day before we left. That’s why I’m constantly drunk. If I’m not drinking or preoccupying myself with sex then there’s nothing to stop me from breaking down. But then, it’s impairing my ability to play and write music, all our newer songs suck because there either written by someone who is drunk or, during my few sober moments, heartbroken.” Richie shook his head, looking down, “that night, in the badly lit backstage, you looked like him.” He looked back up at Eddie, “I think it goes without saying that the band and I would appreciate if you kept my sexuality under wraps, our manager says I can come out but I’ll have to wait till our band is popular enough.”

Eddie didn’t reply and Richie was worried that Eddie thought he made the whole thing up (he didn’t.) Finally, Eddie replied with, “I’m still not retracting or changing my article, I have journalistic integrity.” Richie nodded like he expected that but the disappointment weighed on him. “But,” Eddie continued and Richie perked up, “The Rolling Stone is considering giving me a full-time position, should that happen I can probably convince them to let me do a follow up before the tour ends.”

“Thank you”

“Don’t thank me” Eddie replied, “you need to sober up, actually deal with your heartbreak, let your friends help you, and commit to the music. I’m doing another review, obviously, I can’t tell you when, but if you perform badly and if you refuse to talk to me I wi-“

“To be fair I did talk to you” Richie cut Eddie off.

Eddie glared at Richie.

“Right. Sorry.”

Eddie stood, “I’ll see you backstage, Richie”

“Yeah, I see y- Hey! You called me Richie instead of Tozier!” Richie turned to look at Eddie as he left but he was already gone. Richie smiled, “he’s so into me.”


End file.
